Halloween is pretty easy when your kids are little: they love having you with them while they trick or treat and are in bed by 8 pm. Tweens and teens are a bit more tricky. They still love Halloween, but prefer to leave their parents at home. So how do you keep them protected? Parenting expert Erika Katz has a few tips on how to keep your older kids safe:

TIP #1 – Establish where your tweens/teens can and cannot go. Make a map of your area or a list of the apartments they can go to. If door-to-door trick or treating is still an option in your community, a good Halloween parenting tip is to make sure that your kids are well directed in their pursuit of fun and goodies.

TIP #2 – Give your tweens/teens a curfew and call-in times when they need to check in with you. You can also track their moves on a phone app to make sure they stay in the pre-approved area.

TIP #3 – Halloween is a potential nightmare for tweens/teens that wear traditional metal braces. Take note of the doctors’ advice to avoid forbidden treats like tootsie rolls, fruit chews and caramels. This will save parents the hassle of trekking their child to an emergency ortho visit, and the kids from unnecessary discomfort. (If they wear removable clear aligners, they should leave the aligners at home instead of taking them in and out all night.)

TIP #4 – Have a party at your house, so you know where they are. Or, if they are going to a party, speak to the parents to ensure it will be chaperoned.

TIP #5 – Since your tween/teen will be out at nighttime, they will need reflective tape on their clothing, so drivers can see them when crossing streets. Sneakers are their best bet, so they can walk comfortably.